At The End Of Your Lines
by Shady Love
Summary: I was always well aware that there were secrets kept from me, hence my sheltered upbringing. But the time I least expected they would make themselves known was one evening when he knocked me down on my back and mistook me for someone else. Someone who I myself had been wondering about my whole life. Rating may change.
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

"_Come with me," he said, turning on his side to look at her. She was no longer facing him but up, light brown eyes fixated on the ceiling of her room. She seemed to be deep in thought, as if the simple three words he had spoken required some concentrating on. The smile had slowly faded from her face, replaced with an expression that even he could not read clearly._

"_You know I can't," she said quietly, pulling her sheets up to cover her body. They had taken a big risk tonight. If her parents caught them together, it would be the last he would see of her._

"_You don't like it here," he replied solemnly. "I can tell. I see it in your eyes anytime you speak about your day. Your family, your friends…"_

"_They don't approve of you."_

"_For obvious reasons."_

"_But they don't know." She averted her gaze and finally looked at him, propping herself up on one elbow and resting her head on her hand. "They don't know what you are. What amazing being you are."_

"_They would have guessed by now," he pointed out, lifting a hand to brush aside a few pieces of hair that were falling in her face. "All the clues are there. They've only met me at night, I never eat around them, and I was quite close to telling them that I was a Nazi during World War II. No further explanation needed." Her mouth twitched and she fought to stay serious, inwardly swooning at his touch. It was evident that she was having a hard time holding back her smile and in mere seconds, gave in. He returned the smile, though it was a small, sad one, hand cupped on her cheek. "I can't stay here forever, no matter how much I want to."_

"_I know." She breathed out a sigh, placing her hand above his linger one. She was warm and he was cool, two opposites attracting at that very moment. _

"_So come with me," he urged, "You don't want to be here, you've told me before."_

"_You can't take me with you."_

"_I can. But only if you say yes."_

Godric opened his eyes. He had dreamt of her again. Like he had for the past few days now. They had tortured him, and it felt like every time he woke up, it was a bit earlier than the previous night. Even if it was not a very long time, it surprised him. Godric had not dreamt of her for many years, ever since she forced him to leave her. They were bits of their past together, ranging from the good times to the bad. Only recently had it begun again. Why, he did not know. But he had an aching suspicion that she was near him.

When he rose from his bed, the sun had already set. Godric did not always get up immediately. Especially now, with the dreams, he lay in bed and contemplated them. For a man of his age, he should have known the answers. She had crawled out of the recesses of his mind and conveniently placed herself in his dreams, torturing him. Godric had pushed her back there. Enough that he refused to say her name even to herself. And though not a day went by where she didn't cross his mind, he did not dream of her. And when Godric used to, it was because they were together, and for a small period of time after he left.

He went to his living room, debating on whether or not he should go out tonight. Walking used to help take his mind off of complex matters; but this was something impossible to put aside, even for a few minutes. He switched the TV on, though he didn't find many programs interesting. Some of the show that were so loved by humans… perhaps it was something he would never understand, being two thousand years old. And not human.

On TV, a man and woman were sitting and talking to each other, both grinning rather widely. Godric recognized the man right off the bat. Steve Newlin, reverend of a church just outside of Dallas, The Fellowship of the Sun and another female interviewing him on his stance on vampires.

"_Reverend, you never fail to express your stance on mainstreaming,_" the woman was saying, "How do plan on taking action?"

"_Well, Joan, I am glad you asked_," Steve Newlin replied, offering up a pointless laugh as if the interviewer told him a humorous joke. He certainly sounded glad she had asked for he was about speak more volumes of his hatred. Godric did not hear the rest of his answer as he felt another presence in the room.

"I hate that man." He turned around to see Isabel come into the room. She was dressed in true Isabel fashion, arms crossed, glaring at the TV screen. "I don't know how you can stand to watch him, Sheriff."

Godric turned the TV off without speaking. Isabel was right; he could not stand the sound of Steve Newlin's voice any more than Isabel could. He was just better at not displaying his emotions. He gave the underling his full attention. "Is something the matter?"

Isabel uncrossed her arms, her expression changing. "I should be asking you that. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. You've been a bit… distant."

Godric offered her a weak smile. "There is nothing wrong, Isabel, don't worry."

"Are you sure? I know as sheriff, you have many responsibilities and much to stress about. But you've been unusually quiet, even for you, Godric."

She had noticed. He was normally a silent man, but his underling knew him well enough to tell the difference between normal, everyday Godric to disturbed, lost-in-thought Godric. Currently, he was the latter. But he could not tell Isabel. This was a matter that did not concern either of them. It did not concern anyone but Godric and he was not about to make this an issue for his underlings. He was perfectly fine figuring it out on his own.

"Everything is fine," he promised.

"As long as you are alright," Isabel replied, smiling fondly at her sheriff. She worried for him, it was easy to read on her face. More so than his other underling, Stan. It was nice of her to make sure he was alright but she could do nothing to help him even if he confided in her. No one could.

"Are you going anywhere, tonight?" Godric asked, changing the subject.

Isabel looked a little embarrassed at first, her cheeks flushing. "I… I have a date tonight."

"With your human?"

"Yes… but if you have anything for me to do, I can always reschedule," she replied quickly. "It is no problem for me."

Godric smiled for real this time. "No, Isabel, go out tonight, I have nothing for you to do."

She asked if he was sure and he nodded, seeing her face glow instantly. It made his heart ache to see how happy she was. "Thank you, Sheriff. Are you doing anything special tonight?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. I think I'll stay in." As he had for days now. Godric did not have anyone he kept a serious relationship with, neither did he find pleasure in chasing after humans for fun or to his quench his thirst. At his age, he required very little blood. And over time, taunting humans had become cruel and useless, losing its initial excitement. Just being around his area was enough for him. Lately, he had taken staying home, what with how his dreams were affecting him, to the point where Isabel was noticing.

After Isabel left, Godric retreated back to his room, to do what he had been doing for the past few nights now. Twenty-two years… the amount of time since he had last seen her. The same amount of time it had been since he had dreamt of her.

A man who has lived nearly two-thousand years on Earth eventually loses the will to live anymore. Though he is truly dead, the "life" starts to drain from him with each passing day. Traveling is no longer exciting, killing for fun loses its luster, and feeding doesn't have the same effect it used to. A man who is consumed with his own hatred and resentment is eventually left feeling empty. He finds ways to feel complete again.

Godric was this man. By now, he had seen everything that was written into history textbooks, was older than a being people praised as the son of their god. The first half of his life had been dedicated to senseless killing of humans, the result of his hatred and resentment of them. He had progenies, which he loved very much- but had released them. After a thousand years of disdain for the human race, Godric realized he was not happy living like this. What he had done had left him feeling detached. Where had it all gone wrong? When he released Eric and Nora? When he became Sherriff of Area 9? Perhaps that's just how it was. He had taken many lives. Now he paid for it by living with his own pain forever.

But Godric could not allow himself to go one for the rest of his life this way. He was left with two choices- to find a way to be happy again or to sit and let his misery eat at him. And so he took a break- he went back to traveling.

Despite having been around the world many times, Godric found comfort in traveling. A good part of it had been with Eric. The last time had seen his progeny was in Augsburg, Germany, and that was on a mission, not for enjoyment. After that, they had parted ways. He never said it out loud, but he missed Eric greatly. After being together for so long, it was natural for even a dead man to feel that way. And so, Godric traveled on his own. He did not stray far, keeping to the states.

That was how he had met her. Was it even a slight possibility that she was here, in his area? Godric had considered this idea, but he would have to ask why she would come here. He doubted she had forgotten everything he had told her. She wouldn't be in Dallas if she remembered whose territory she would be living on. Were his dreams telling him she was near?

And if she was… did she come back for him?


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

"_This is going to be great for us, Kitten. A new beginning in a new city, and new opportunities for you! I've heard Texas has some great universities, and you won't have to move away from home either! Dallas is lovely in the summertime, though hotter than we're used to…"_

The only part that was true about my dad's speech on moving to Dallas was that the weather was much hotter than we were used to. He recited this to me almost a year ago when I was applying for colleges and he was urging me to apply to ones in the state of Texas. It had been dad's decision that after I finished my senior year of high school in New York, we would make the big move from the East Coast to the Southwest. A drastic change for a girl like me, as if it wasn't drastic enough that I was graduating high school and finally moving on to college. That had been my plan all along- to finally, _finally_ live away from home, be on my own for once. You would think a New Yorker would grow up as a latchkey kid in an urban setting, with parents that would be alarmingly fine with the idea of staying until after dark. Absolutely not the case with me. I had the best luck in the world by growing up without a mother and a strict father who could set rules that never existed up until the moment I asked to go someplace with my friends.

And it all worked out the way Dad had planned; I was accepted to the University of Texas at Dallas. He had so conveniently bought a home close by so the option to live on campus was out of the question. When I asked him about his job, I thought I had won. Then a few days later, he announced he got a new teaching job at one of the high schools in the area. And right then and there, I knew he was not going to give up. To sum it all up, my dear old father had made pretty damn sure that I would not leave his sight; something he had done my whole life. And truthfully, I was getting sick of it. And of all places, Dallas, Texas. _Dallas freaking Texas._ Normally when a family moves, someone gets offered a new job with better pay or the parents want the child to grow up in a cleaner, safer environment than where they currently live. I couldn't for the life of me come up with anything that would attract my dad to Dallas, besides the weather, but we've both been East Coasters our whole lives; the heat did not do well with us. Believe me, I had asked him why- he just said that the time had come for a change. It did not get any more ambiguous than that. There are few things that Dad will not respond with a clear, specific answer- questions that involved our move, my mother, and… wait for it… _vampires._ He had not made that a secret since day one. But two out of those weren't my concern at the moment; right now, it was just trying to figure out why the hell he decided to just up and leave New York City when we'd been living there our whole lives.

"_Don't worry so much, Katie. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it would benefit us in any way."_ I had yet to figure out just how it would benefit us, and I was getting testy about it. Patience is a virtue, but only when you know you'll be getting what you want in the future.

Instead of taking a plane to Dallas, we spent a day and about five hours on car, making a few rest stops along the way. It was mostly filled with promises that everything would be fine, that in a few days' time, I would love Dallas much more than New York. And me? I ate it all up with no appetite. My whining about the matter was very minimal and in the end, I plastered on a fake, optimistic smile and accepted the reality that this move was happening. My dad was basically assuring that I would never break away and make my own rules for myself. Being an only child, it wasn't hard to set rules and unnecessary curfews and make his opinions become mine. All his beliefs had been told to me since I was a kid and I remembered all of them well. Especially about Untouchable Topic #3 I mentioned earlier- _vampires._ _Vampires will drain your blood. Vampires will kill your loved ones. Vampires are merciless, cruel, and will stop at nothing to destroy our kind. Stay away from them, Katie. Stay away from vampires._ Telling me to stay away from vampires was hilarious; they walked freely among humans now. Everywhere, no matter where we went, we would eventually find a dead man or woman walking, fangs bared and ready to feed. To try and keep as far away from vampires would be a task on its own.

I had visited Dallas and our new house earlier this month, so I was no stranger to where I'd be living. It was the middle of summer, and I had a month and a half left before I started college. Already, I could feel an unwelcome heat as the car drove through the streets of my new home city. I will grudgingly admit that Dallas is a lovely city but it takes a lot more than a populous metropolitan area in the South to impress me.

"Stay awake, Kitten," my dad said, slightly nudging me. I blinked a few times and lifted my head from the side window. Hot weather makes me feel drowsy. I shook my head and realized my headphones were still in my ears even though my "Permanent Road Trip to Hell" playlist had finished.

"How much longer till we get there?" I yawned, plucking the white buds out of my ears.

"Five minutes, maximum. Don't sleep just yet." The clock on the dashboard read 4:02pm. I humored myself with the prediction that we would reach our new house at exactly 4:07.

"The houses are so fancy here," I commented, as we passed by a few extravagant-looking homes. "I said this last time, and I'm still in surprise."

Dad chuckled. "Some people just can't settle for anything less than the best."

"Oh, certainly not," I whistled. I couldn't disagree with him there. Finally, we arrived, parking the car right in front of the garage. It was a small place, painted pale blue and accented with white.

"The ship has landed!" Dad announced, turning the ignition off and getting out of the car. I took a deep breath and followed him, stepping out and looking up somewhat admiringly at the house. It would be twice more spacey and comfortable than our apartment in New York, and it wasn't overly glamorous like most of the other houses we had passed by on our way here. It was beautiful, no doubt, a perfect, Southern home for a single father and his daughter.

Dad placed his arm around my shoulders and gave me a comforting squeeze. "It'll be fine, Kitten," he reassured, smiling at me, "Just wait. Give it a few days and you'll be wondering why we didn't move out here sooner."

I was questioning the part about the few days but I didn't voice my thoughts out loud. Instead, I followed my father into our new home. The furniture had arrived earlier. The real job would be unpacking and starting the actual process of settling and adjusting in the warm city.

Inside was a bit cooler than the outside. Our furniture was set up but there were boxes everywhere, marked accordingly and ready to be opened.

"Looks better with the furniture, no?" Dad pointed out.

"Definitely," I agreed,

I spent a good portion of the afternoon unpacking and putting away my belongings in their rightful places. It didn't take too long as I had cleaned out my closet and thrown out all things having to do with high school. What use were they going to be at university? I saved the pictures for last: the two of them I had found in my dad's closet when I was younger back in New York, in a box marked "Important." Most of it was memorabilia- from his high school years, college times, pictures of him and his family, etc. And then there were two pictures that caught my eye; his wedding picture and one of my mom at Staten Island Beach, years ago. These were the only two left that included my mother. The rest, Dad had gotten rid of and this was something I never understood and continued to ponder over, even now as I was brushing dust off the frames and placing them on my dresser. I don't have to be husband to know that it's difficult for Dad to talk about Mom. The problem is, I honestly don't know _anything_ about her, besides her name and the date she was at the Staten Island Beach, and that's because it was written on the back of her photograph- _Sophia Santana, August 1988_. No matter how much I pester him, he'll find a way to weed out of it and talk about something else. Or he'll get angry with me and that's my signal to drop the topic. And he won't even let me figure it out on my own. _The less you know, the better, Katherine Pinto,_ he had said sternly once. And Dad means it when he calls me by my full name.

I stared longingly at Mom's picture. Would I ever be as pretty as her? I had the dark hair and maybe the facial structure, but the green eyes and pale complexion were from Dad. So was the last name. I wish I looked more like my mother. Maybe someday, someone could stop me on the street and say, "Hey are you Sophia Santana's daughter?" And I'll nod and hopefully they'll go on this long tangent about how amazing and wonderful she is and I will have learned all about my mother from a kind stranger… my imagination was overacting again. It had to be from the long trip. It was making me go insane.

A few minutes later, my dad called me down for dinner. I changed out of my jeans and into a comfortable pair of shorts and put my hair up to battle the heat creeping into my bedroom. Downstairs, Dad was cooking rather enthusiastically. "What are we having tonight?"

"In honor of this special occasion, I paid homage to our Italian roots and made a timeless favorite," he announced, looking over his shoulder and smiling at me widely.

I shook my head and chuckled. "Spaghetti's the only Italian dish you can make successfully, Dad."

"I'll learn," he replied defensively. I set the kitchen counter and grabbed one of the tall chairs to sit down. We usually liked to use our dining table when we had guests over. But considering we had just moved, it would not be used for a while. Dad served the meal and despite the typicality of an Italian making spaghetti for dinner, he made an excellent job.

"You have about a month till school starts, Kitten," he started, "You should go out and make some friends, see if anyone's going to UTD with you."

I shrugged. "I probably will find someone eventually. A month's not that long."

"It is a while to go without seeing friends," Dad noted. Funny he said that, since I wouldn't be seeing my real friends for a very long time, at least until one decided to come visit or we did.

"I'll try. Do you think Dallas people are nice?"

"Of course they'll be. Every city has their mix of good and bad. Just stay alert and stick with the right crowd." _Official Rule #1 in Dallas, Texas: stay with the right crowd. Got it._

I cleared the table afterwards and set about to washing dishes as Dad went to the living room and switched the TV on. I could hear him watching an interview from the kitchen.

"_May his holy light shine upon you_," a dreamy woman's voice was saying. Then there was some giggling and a man's voice started speaking. It sounded like a religious program so I was listening absentmindedly. "_…Perhaps more have avoided this most human of fears by leaving their humanity behind and becoming creatures of darkness… vampires_."

I stopped and slowly lowered the tap so the sound of water was no longer interrupting the man speaking. Why was my dad watching a discussion on vampires? "_Adam and Eve were cast out before they could even partake in the everlasting gift from the Tree of Life_," the man continued, his familiar, Southern accent clear as crystal as he spoke. I turned off the tap and peeked out from the kitchen to catch a glimpse of the TV. The man who was talking was wearing a suit, hair slicked back, and a big smile, enchanting his audience with his speech. The name at the bottom of the screen read _Reverend Steve Newlin, Fellowship of the Sun_. If I remembered correctly, we drove past that church earlier. It was located just outside of Dallas. I had heard of Steve Newlin- of his very extreme views on vampires, to the point where you could see hate dripping from the man's eyes. A man who claimed to be loving and accepting.

I stepped out from the kitchen and into the living. "What's on TV?"

My dad reached for the remote and lowered the volume. "Nothing, just a program on a nearby church. Done with the dishes?"

"What is with that guy?" I muttered, crossing my arms and eyeing his fake smile on the screen. "Can people really take him so seriously?"

Dad looked up at me. "He's just expressing his views, Kitten."

"I don't see vampires going on television and talking volumes about how much they hate humans." It was rare I said something that touched a nerve and from the look on his face, I had done just that, though he would try his best not to show it. "I mean, it just seems unnecessary, going on camera every evening and stating the same opinions over and over again, you know?"

"True. But he makes a good point. Especially in a place like this… the vampires in this city are known to be… different."

"You said that about New York vampires too," I reminded.

"And I meant it. I meant it this time as well."

I held back a sigh. It's not that Dad didn't have a right to dislike vampires. But it did bother me that he was defending Steve Newlin. The guy was psychotic and he had people who listened and believed what he had to say. Why was it always the crazies who could sway many audiences to listen to him? It wasn't a very comforting sign, seeing my dad watching him. I'd have to make sure Newlin didn't convert him into another one of his mindless followers. He could have his views but my dad could never be as hateful and bloodthirsty as him.

Evening had approached quickly. The streets in our area didn't look too dangerous to take a quick stroll through. I promised my dad I'd be back soon, I was just going to do some exploring. Changing into more appropriate wear, I grabbed my cell phone from my dress and went downstairs to get the keys before I was out the door in minutes.

It wasn't dark yet but the streetlamps were on and the air was still warm. The houses close to ours were similar, with light colors schemes yet tinged with a friendly, Southern appearance. Growing up among tall buildings and seeing mostly apartment homes, it was something new, these cute little houses. The more grandiose ones were more of a common sighting, if you would believe it. Hey, I'm a New Yorker, I'm not used to the suburban areas!

The streets weren't empty which was a relief. I passed by a couple walking their dog, some small kids and their mother, and a few single walkers like myself. They greeted me with small smiles or a simple "Hello." Nothing more, nothing less. I returned their greetings, feeling pleased that so far, the people were nice. Out of curiosity, would I come across any vampires tonight? Part of me wanted to, the other half did not. If the vampires in this city were "different" according to Dad, then that was not a good thing. Then again, being so sheltered from them, I had never denied the interest in meeting one face-to-face.

I continued going down the path, observing the homes and getting lost in my own thoughts. It was only when the sky had darkened that I realized I had walked quite a distance from my house. I turned around to see that there were no more people and the streets were empty. I started to panic a little, not so much for myself, but for my dad who was worried out of his mind right now. I slipped my hand into my pocket to take out my phone. Wait a minute… where was my phone? I distinctly remember getting it off my dresser, going downstairs to get the keys, placing it on the… kitchen counter and leaving it there. _Well, that's just fan-freaking-tastic. Dad's going to kill me when I get home._

I didn't recognize what street I was at but I tried to stay as calm as possible, keeping my head down and walking down what I believed was where I had come from. But I had gone far and realized I didn't remember exactly how to get home. I was feeling a mix of embarrassment and fear. Embarrassment because I did not think to be aware how far I was going and the fact that I left my cell phone at home. And fear for reasons I did not have to explain.

Crap, crap, crap. I will be in big trouble when I get home. On top of that, God knows who could be prowling around at night.

Suddenly, I heard a noise, like something whizzing by me rapidly. I whipped around frantically, my heart rate picking up. The worst possible thing to do right now is to call out. I've seen enough horror movies to know that the girl who gets killed first is the one who shouts "Hello?" and draws attention to herself instead of running. But nothing could stop me from breathing heavily, trying to calm down my racing heart. _What in the world was that?_

Very slowly, I turned back around to walk away when I heard it again and stopped short once more. It can't have been in animal. You don't hear them so… sharply. Was it possible my very first encounter with a supernatural being was going to be tonight? The more I thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. A young girl by herself at night where Dallas vampires were around, hungry and ready to feast on fresh prey… at that exact moment, it appeared before me. Standing a few inches taller… staring at me intensely with blue eyes… and fangs bared.

"Oh… my…" _Three. Two. One. You better run, Katherine Pinto._

I broke into a run, not caring which direction I was going in, just as long as I could get away from the vampire. He reappeared so quickly before me that I slammed straight into him. And God, he was _strong_. It felt like I had crashed into a large block of cement. I couldn't even steady myself and fell on my back, momentarily disorientated. _For goodness sake, of all times to land myself into a mess…_

Before I could even attempt to pick myself up, he was on top, his hands pinning me to the ground, his fangs still visible. I widened my eyes, sure he could feel me shaking furiously beneath him. _Please don't kill me_, I pleaded in my head, unable to say it to him, _Please, please, please. Just let me go._

I opened my mouth to try and beg out loud but he spoke first. And what he said, the single word he uttered, changed my fear into complete confusion and I froze underneath him.

"Sophia?"


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

_Sophia._ That was my mother's name. The vampire who had slammed me to the ground and pinned me down just called me by my mother's name. I stared up at him, a bit distracted by the intensity of his blue eyes. Some of my fear melted away when he uttered her name and I could detect a hint of hope in his voice. Maybe it meant that he wouldn't kill me tonight. But one peek at those fangs and my heart was racing again.

"What?" I stammered, puzzled. It was possible the vampire was talking about an entirely different "Sophia" but I doubt there are many that look like me that won't have any relation to me. And I only know of one that does.

I could make him out thanks to the light coming from the nearby streetlamp. He looked about my age, dressed all in white, a complexion even paler than that. And cold to match, ironically a relief against the warmth of the night air. It was terrible timing, noticing that he was rather attractive, even though he was deadly and with the ability to snap me in half if he felt like it. But from the looks of it, he wasn't about to kill me off just yet. The vampire's expression faded a little and he narrowed his eyes his confusion. "You… you are not…"

As young as he looked, he weighed a ton compared to me. Leave it to me to not know just how inhumanely strong a vampire could be. Dare he press any harder, my lungs might give out. "No, no I guess I'm not," I replied shakily, praying silently he would get off me.

"But you smell like her," he practically growled, "Your blood, it's exactly like hers." His fingers were clutching even more tightly at my arms. I was unable to contain the small whimper that escaped my lips, wishing he would just retract the fangs already. It would be a miracle if I got out of this alive tonight. One thing was for sure- he _had_ to be talking about my mother.

"Who are you?" the vampire demanded, not dropping the matter, "Tell me now. And do not lie to me."

"I…. I'm…" _Truth be told, Vampire, I am at a complete loss for words._

"Tell. Me. Now."

"My name is Katherine Pinto," I blurted out, accidentally giving him my full name. "I- I just moved here, I swear, I'm not who you think I am-"

"Then why do you smell like her?" he lowered his face to mine, glaring at me. I was about ninety percent positive I was going to die tonight. He didn't believe me, but why wouldn't he? Just because I "smelled" like her didn't mean I was her. "Answer me, Katherine Pinto."

"M-maybe because… she's my mother?" I tried timidly. That did it. The earlier determined look on his face was replaced by one of shock.

"Mother?" he whispered, going back to being confused, "You're Sophia's daughter?"

"It… depends. Are you talking about Sophia Santana?" I asked, trying hard to keep my voice steady. It was either a good thing that he was talking about my mother… or a bad thing. A _very _bad thing. Knowing that this was a vampire, the latter was a more reasonable outcome.

"Yes," he replied almost immediately, "Where is she? Is she in the area? Tell me." For a creature of such strength who could strike fear into the hearts of any human being, he sounded like an eager teenager right then. Why in the world was he so intent on seeing my mother? He surpassed my curiosity of her whereabouts and I highly doubt she was his mother too. It was freaking me out more that he wanted to know where my mother was rather than the fact that he was mere seconds away from taking my life.

"She's… she's been missing my whole life," I answered him, hating to ruin the excitement that overtook him in that moment. "I don't know where she is. I've never met her…"

It was getting difficult, maintaining eye contact with the vampire. He was staring at me so intently, as if I said something that caused serious thought. I don't think he could sense how intimidating it was to me. I had no other place to look but if I looked anymore into those eyes of his, my retinas may sooner or later have just burnt off. Finally, _finally_, the vampire snapped out of his trance and realized he was still on top of me. He released his grip on my arms and lifted off of me. I held back from breathing out a loud sigh of relief. God knew what else I could do to provoke him into jumping back on top of me. Before I could get up, he offered his hand out to me and I cautiously took it. Fortunately, no tricks and I was helped back up to my feet.

"Thank you," I murmured, brushing myself off and keeping my head down for fear of him seeing the flush on my cheeks.

"You are welcome," he replied. His tone of voice had lowered to one that was smooth and calm, not in the least bit troubled by what just happened. I snuck a peek at him, taking in the sight before me as surreptitiously as I could. He wasn't very tall, but still a few inches taller than me. His face gave nothing away but something in those blue eyes told me he was a little bothered. "I'm sorry about… throwing you back. I mistook you for someone else."

"It's alright… at least now when I make friends, I'll have some interesting stories to entertain them with," I replied, making a light joke. It failed to make him laugh or at least crack a smile. In fact he looked a little disappointed, like it was that upsetting I wasn't the person he wanted to see. _Note to self: there is a difference between vampire humor and human humor. You can't replace one with the other. _

I stood there awkwardly, noticing he was keeping a slight distance between us. "You, um… you thought I was my mom," I spoke up nervously.

He averted his gaze to meet mine. "That I did. It appears I made a mistake. I apologize for that, Miss Pinto."

"Really, it's okay," I shrugged off, deciding it was best to dismiss it than to scold him for it. Looking at the situation, it was my life in his hands. "And you can call me Katherine. Well, Katie is better, to be honest, unless you're angry with me which is perfectly alright to…" my voice trailed off when I caught sight of the intrigue in his eyes. Slim chance that he found my rambling endearing, though it was more possible he thought me crazy. "Yeah, Katie's fine, that's what everyone calls me."

"Okay, Katie." The corners of the vampire's mouth twitched and he was fighting back a smile. "Nice to meet you."

"You too, er…" This whole time I had been calling him "Vampire" in my head, I didn't even know what his name was.

"Godric," he replied simply.

"Godric," I repeated, smiling at him, "Very nice to meet you." After that, the silence resumed, him standing there and studying me, and me just shifting from one leg to the other uneasily. He wasn't so scary now- quietly frozen to his spot, no fangs. I wondered how he came across me. Perhaps he lived around here or was just hunting and happened to smell blood that smelled like my mother's. Creepy as it sounded, I had to remember that Godric was a vampire. So it was somewhat excusable.

"It's getting late," he pointed out, "You should get back home. This area is not safe at night. Again, I hope you forgive me for startling you like that." Just like that, he turned around and started to walk away from me. I stared at him as he went- that was it? A vampire just knocked me to the ground and thought I was my mother. The one woman who had been missing my entire life, whom I had thought about daily. The very same one my father refused to talk about. And a vampire knew her, someone who seemed to have strong feelings for her. I was not about to let him walk away without explanation.

"Wait! Godric!" I called out, running after him. For merely walking, Godric had gone a long distance from me. He paused and turned his head to glance at me. "Yes?"

"You know my mother?." I got straight to the point.

Godric's eyes flickered and in split second, he went from calm to uncomfortable then back to calm. "Not anymore. I _knew_ her. I have not seen Sophia in many years. You look about the same age she was when I last saw her."

My mouth dropped open. "You knew my mother when she was eighteen years old?"

"Indeed. You look very much like her." Godric gave in and his lips formed into a smile. It was a lovely sight to see, a slight, sweet smile that did not meet the saddened glint in his eyes. "Except for the eye color. Hers was a light brown and yours is green."

"Y-yeah, I got that from my dad," I responded. It felt so weird to hear Godric talk about my mom in this nostalgic, dreamy voice like she once meant the world to him. Yet who was I to pretend I had more knowledge about my mother than him? At least Godric got to speak to her and spend time with her; I never even had the opportunity to see her in real life. As soon as I mentioned him, it occurred to me. I groaned and slapped a palm to my forehead. "Dad… ugh, I can't believe I forgot. Crap, he must be out of his mind in worry."

He eyed me suspiciously. "Your father… David Pinto?"

"Yes, he's going to flip out, I'm going to be grounded until the end of su-" I froze in the middle of yet another ramble and widened my eyes at Godric for the umpteenth time tonight. "You just said my dad's name. You know my dad too?"

Godric exhaled sharply from his nose and when he opened his mouth, his voice sounded cold. "I think I have given away too much. You really should get home before your father sends out to look for you. Him catching you with the likes of me will not end very… cleanly." Cleanly? What the hell did that mean? Yes, my father had a near-phobic fear of vampires, but he wouldn't be stupid enough to pick a fight with one… would he?

"Wait… how do you know him? Hell, you still haven't answered how you know my mom. And now you've met me. Unless, let me guess, you once saw me when I was two months old with baby food running down my neck." I couldn't help but glare a little. "Are you _stalking_ my family?"

Godric stared at me blankly before his mouth was twitching again and a tiny chuckle escaped through his lips. This frustrated me to no end. I was being one hundred percent straightforward and determined for answers and he was _laughing_ at me.

"You are a humorous little one, aren't you?" he said softly, after he had finished chuckling at my accusation. The words "little one" made me want to roll my eyes; I may not have been very gifted in terms of height, but I was far from little. And look who was talking! He looked about as young as me, and only a few inches taller. Then again, vampires lived forever- I had yet to find out just how old Godric truly was.

"I'm known for it," I replied, offering up a small shrug. "It was a weird question, I admit, but I had to make sure. If it helps, you don't seem like a stalker."

"No, I'm afraid not," Godric responded, a smile still on his face. "Sorry to disappoint, Miss Pinto." Before I could reply, it slipped away instantly and he turned his head from me and stared out into another direction, like he heard something far off. He concentrated, shifting his gaze, clearly sensing something I wasn't. I went back into panic mode, not taking my eyes off him. "What, what is it?"

"You need to go home. Now, before others find you."

"…Others?"

"Vampires like to swarm neighborhoods at this time of night, in hopes of catching prey. Dare they see you, they will not show you the same mercy as I have." A chill ran down my spine as he said that. Just hearing that, I knew I would take getting yelled at by Dad more than getting my body drained by a vampire. Yet I wasn't about to let him go easily. He owed me because tonight just unfolded a long story that I was wholly in the dark about, when I had the right to know.

"Go on," Godric urged, scanning the neighborhood again.

"Not until you explain." I stayed frozen to my spot and crossed my arms.

"Katherine, this is not a good time," he argued, "You are not safe here."

"I am if you are here," I pointed out, "Unless… you're just going to leave me here."

Godric gave me a look. "I wouldn't dream of leaving you alone here. You could be killed in mere seconds."

"Well… then it's rather comforting you're here." I continued to stare at him expectantly, resisting the need to tap my foot for emphasis. _Remember, Katie. He's sparing your life at this very moment. He could easily change his mind and eat you instead._

"Katherine, you have to go." Godric's tone of voice lost some of its calm patience and was starting to sound strained. Interestingly enough, he was more afraid for me than I was. But I couldn't just leave. One, going off by myself would put my life in more danger than now. Two, my curiosity was killing me. When would I ever get to see Godric again to ask him about this? Surely he'd make himself scarce now that he realized his mistake. "Please, it's not safe here."

"I'm not moving until you promise me you'll tell me what you know," I made clear. "And I can't go by myself."

Godric paused for a second. "You're right… I cannot let you go on your own, they will track your scent."

"So you'll walk with me?" I presumed. It wasn't necessarily because I wanted a vampire escorting me back to my house. It was mostly my hope that as we were walking, we would be talking. Or rather, _he_ would be talking and _I_ would be listening. That and the fact that if Godric let me go without him, I would be dead in two minutes, tops.

The vampire breathed out a quiet sigh but he didn't refuse nor shoot me a reluctant look. If Godric didn't want to walk me home, he wasn't showing it. For a vampire, he was rather… polite. Actual human beings could learn that skill from him, and that goes for most people I've met in my life. "Alright… but not the whole way."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll walk you halfway then keep an eye on you until you reach home." He spoke calmly and without a hint of annoyance or irritation in his voice. It made me wonder if he had ever been pushed to the point where he lost his temper. Not that I wanted to experiment and see if I could make him lose it. I can be a total play on nerves without even trying. "What street do you live on?"

"Um…" I had memorized my address a good fifty times before moving here and out of nowhere, the name of the street slipped my mind. What was it again? "Worcester... Wilshire… Wild… something…"

"Winchester?" Godric guessed.

"Yes!" I burst out, smiling appreciatively. "I swear, it was on the tip of my tongue…"

The vampire chuckled, amused by my outburst. I had the feeling that I was going to leave quite a first impression on him. "You live close by. It is not too far off so I'm afraid me keeping you company for your walk will be very brief."

"It's okay… I guess…"

"Come then. If they have not caught on to your scent yet, they will very, _very _soon." He motioned towards the direction I had run in before bumping into him and I followed at his side. We walked silently and a million thoughts were swimming in my mind, most of them questions that wanted to rise to the surface. I figured I had somehow convinced him to tell me something, anything while we were walking. This was proving to be rather difficult and I should have known why. Godric obviously did not want to do any reminiscing tonight of the golden days with my mother. Which meant he was not willing at all to share his memories with me. But I wasn't the type to give up so easily, despite the awkwardness of the situation and the initial shock that had yet to sink in. As we walked, I recognized the street I had formerly gone down the opposite way earlier. My house was a close walking distance from here and if he watched me off, I should be safe. _How embarrassing. A vampire knows my way better than I do. _

"Where is your house?" he asked softly. I looked over and could make it out towards the end of Winchester Street. Next time, I'd have to be careful. If I ever got lost, Gods knew if it was Godric I ran into again, and not another, less kinder vampire. "It's over there. I guess this is where you stop then?"

"You make it sound like I'm going on an epic journey," I replied, not biting back the sass. "It's just home."

Godric attempted to hold back another smile. "I suppose so. I will stay here and make sure you get home safely."

I stood still, not wanting to go so soon. How could I just pretend that tonight's events meant nothing and go inside to deal with my worried (and rightfully so) father without ever truly knowing something I deserved to? Godric may have had a right to keep his memories and his past private, but I had the right to know. If not tonight… then sometime soon.

"Godric?" I said his name hesitantly.

"Yes, Katherine?" He turned his blue eyes on me curiously yet patiently waited for a response. I tried to think up the best way to mention it, for fear of it ruining any chance of interaction ever again. "You're not going to tell me anything tonight, are you?"

Godric studied me but I didn't look away, no matter how _un_easy on the eyes he was. "Tonight is not a good time," he finally responded.

"Then when?" I pressed desperately, "_When_ will you tell me?"

"Katherine, there are some things that are better left in the past. I may not have seen Sophia in many years but I can tell you that she would not be happy with me meeting her daughter."

"Why not? What's wrong with you? You seem fine to me," I argued. My sentences were flawed but I was going to say whatever it took to get more out of him. But really… what was so wrong with Godric?

"That is flattering, but we both know what is wrong with me," he said, "Now please, go home. Your father is undoubtedly worried and if he finds out that I ran in to you-" Godric stopped himself before finishing the sentence. No, no this wasn't just anything. He knew more than I thought. He could read the expression on my face and hardened when he saw I noticed the quick pause.

"What's my father going to do to you?" I urged, "You were so close to saying something, I can't believe you stopped yourself…"

"Go home, Katherine," Godric said firmly, raising his voice. He turned his back to me and made to be walking away. "There's nothing to say here."

"_Godric_!" I snapped angrily, reaching forward to grab him. Enough was enough, I was sick of the "You_ just_ said that you would-"

When Godric turned to look at me, my eyes met the same intensity radiating off of his. I stopped mid-sentence and nearly melted at his gaze, suddenly feeling empty, blank… like all my thoughts just left me completely, erased from my mind… _what was I going to ask him again?_ I could hear him say my name once, his voice warm and soothing. "_Katherine..._" Next he was telling me to relax and I said… I don't know what I said. This feeling was taking over me and I wanted to fight it but I couldn't. I felt so trapped yet safe. Godric was speaking, giving me a command and I felt like head nod. I could hear his commands but at the same time, it's like it wasn't me… _what was he telling me?_ I blinked my eyes fiercely, squeezing them shut and shaking my head. I was afraid to open them, afraid that same, weird empty feeling would come back. "What just happened to me? What are you doing?"

"Nothing," Godric shrugged simply, "Nothing at all."

"Wait, but… what just…" Is it just me or did I agree to something I have already forgotten?

"Just remember what I told you. Do you remember?"

"Right… right!" I nodded, and it came back to me right away. "You promised me, okay? We'll talk about soon, then? Swear on it?"

"Yes, yes," he agreed, "Now go on, little girl. It's late. Your father must be worried about you."

* * *

Godric watched her go up to her house and open the door. Once it was safely closed behind her, he felt himself relax, if only for just a moment.

Everything had gone horribly tonight. He thought she was back… he thought Sophia had returned. But it was not her… it was her daughter. Godric's dreams had played tricks on him; and he was not happy. Not at all. It should have meant something that he was dreaming of Sophia almost every night for a while now. And then he smelled her, the same blood that now coursed through Katie's veins. Godric always believed he had a connection to Sophia, the fact being that he had been- and judging from tonight, still was- in love with her. It had been strong enough that he could smell Sophia's blood in Katie. In all his years, Godric had never know something like this to happen.

He had messed up. He hadn't wanted to get Katie curious about the past, upon knowing she had not a single clue of Sophia. And Godric had gone on too much. At the last minute, he wanted to glamour Katie. He stared into her eyes and opened his mouth to tell her that she will forget this night ever happened, that all she did was go out for a walk, got a little lost, but found her way back home. She never ran into Godric and she would no longer ponder over her mother and where she could be.

And then very quickly, Godric changed his mind. "_Katherine… can you hear me?"_

_Katie nodded, looking at him dazedly and a bit admirably._

"_Listen to me carefully. We are going to drop this matter about your mother. But not forever. Soon, we will talk about her. Do you understand?"_

_Again, she nodded._

"_Now in a few seconds, you will snap out of it, and you will go home. Will you remember what I told you?"_

"_Y-yeah…" she stretched out the word._

"_Good girl…"_

Of course Godric could've said that from the start. Why, he couldn't tell. Just that as soon as he was about to say what he had planned, he was washed over with guilt for taking advantage of her like this. Katie was right; she deserved to know something about her mother.

Though one little thing refused to leave Godric's mind all night, causing him to retreat back to his home instead of the original plan to watch over his area. It wasn't just the guilt of glamouring Katie that stopped him; it was also that when he looked at her, all he could see was Sophia looking back at him. And then he changed his mind. It was pure torture, how life could give him Sophia's daughter but not Sophia herself. He would have to keep an eye on Katie now, make sure she was safe. By now, she should have been told what vampires in this area were like.

_Welcome to Area Nine of Dallas, Texas, Katherine Pinto. _


End file.
